The invention describes a suspension for attaching dynamically stressed performance parts to a supporting structure, especially an exhaust system on the bottom of a vehicle, with a spring element made of elastic material.
Elastic suspensions of this type for bedding exhaust systems and catalytic converters are described in DE-C-26 58 358. This known suspension consists of a spring element made of a compact rubber material and in general is annular or loop shaped. In the upper and lower area there are two opposed, almost semicircular slots into which the free ends of the union bows are inserted to the bottom of the vehicle on one side and to the exhaust system on the other side. The geometrical shape and arrangement of the center areas in which there is no material determines the elasticity and spring deflection of the spring element whereby the stays serve as the delimitation when spring deflection occurs. For reinforcement purposes a flexible and elastic insert with tensile strength made of steel wire or spring steel strap, is embedded in the outer areas of the spring element.
One disadvantage of this known suspension is the manufacture of the rubber-metal-connection. The production of this connection is very labor intensive and expensive. On the other hand it is exactly this connection which later on makes it more difficult and expensive to separate and recycle the materials; and especially recycling is increasingly important.
It is especially true, however, that this suspension does not always operate in the linear area. Rather, the spring characteristic displays a relatively small linear area with small gradients and then increases progressively. However, if the statistical travel of the spring is not taken into account, which is due to the dead weight of the exhaust system, a spring characteristic with oscillation paths of approximately 10 mm and a soft spring suspension are the result. The spring characteristics should increase progressively only after the oscillation paths are greater than 10 mm.